“What happened to Johnny Reeves? It wasn’t clear to me whether he was dead or alive.”

I’m often asked to explain the “meaning” of my work. Since my first published book, WISH ON A UNICORN, I’ve intentionally declined to give a definitive interpretation to the events that occur in my books. If I tell you how to “read” the book, where is the pleasure in it for you? I’ve always maintained a book is a collaborative effort between the author and the reader. I try to write scenes that invite the reader to co-create the story with me.

The book would have far less impact on you, I think, if you were shut out of it because I, the author, had closed all the doors of possible interpretation and forced you to think only what I say you should think. What fun would that be?

Did Johnny Reeves die when he jumped off the bridge in WITNESS? What do you think?

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47 Comments:

Hello…my 7th grade students are reading Witness now, and loving it. I’ve always wondered about the bridge and Johnny Reeves. Found this picture of a steel bridge in Vermont, with the arch 70 feet over the roadway. Also in the photo is an “unidentified ‘crazy man'”—have you seen this photo? http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0001.photos.104819p/resource/
Thank you…Neal Gerhart

Thank you for your comment, Neal. And thank you for the link to the photo, one I can’t remember having seen before.
Please extend my fond regards to your 7th grade students and my wishes for a delightful holiday season for all.

I am currently writing an essay in my 12th grade writing class explaining why I believe he is alive. However, I haven’t shown enough evidence to convince the majority of my class. So far I have…

1. His body isn’t found, this gives that 50/50 is he alive or dead? (I chose this first because it will begin to let the brain choose a side)

2. He visited the church, which I believe is “for the last time”. Johnny must have set off to either redeem himself or run away, which would lead to my third thought.

3. Merlin could smell him. I know this sounds crazy but think about it logically. (Since I do not believe in ghosts) The mind will remember certain things about people, including voices, sights, and even smells. These things will make that person feel they are in the presence of a ghost. However, Merlin did not know Johnny had jumped into the river. Therefore, he wouldn’t know how Reeves’ smelled.

This “ghost” as many might believe, is (in my eyes) Johnny himself, following Merlin and possibly trying to catch him in order to redeem himself with the Klan. However, since Merlin makes it back to town, (where everyone thinks Johnny is dead) Johnny cannot go after him. The Klan had left town so if Johnny truly does feel he belongs in the Klan and would want to redeem himself, he would follow them, or head south, whichever would help him out more. After he has caught up to the Klan, he would find a way to redeem himself.

I’m honestly not too concerned about Johnny, him not being my favorite and my exact opposite. But I think he had died while trying (committing) to commit suicide. Hopefully, at least. The only thing I might be concerned about though is how Esther’s father and Sara Chickering ended out.

Such an interesting comment, Ryan. You’ve done a great job of putting yourself into the various shoes of the characters and you have reached important conclusions. As for the fate of Esther’s father and Sara Chickering, you are doing a splendid job of imagining their story beyond the last page of the book. Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts with me. Best wishes, Karen Hesse

I just finished reading Witness today. My class is mostly split on whether or not Johnny Reeves is dead. Personally, I think Johnny is dead.
1. Hallucinations/spirits/ect are evident in this book. Ester thought she saw Lewis when she hit her head, but that is impossible as Lewis was already dead. Merlin “saw” Johnny, who also smelt of river slime. As Ester thought she held onto Lewis, it’s suspectable that Merlin could smell Johnny.
2. On page 141, Ester is in Johnny’s church. She is praying, and can easily see the rest of the church. On page 155, Johnny says he is in the pulpit as a young girl is praying and then leaves. As Ester would have been very able to see the pulpit, it’s odd that she wouldn’t remark on seeing Johnny, who she knew was dead.
3. Ester has seen someone die before. She also “saw” Lewis, which I’m assuming is in spirit form. Meanwhile, Merlin could have seen someone die, and then had seen Johnny. She also seems more linked to the other side, as shown when Ester tried to see her mother by being hit by the train.
4. Percelle’s comment on not finding Johnny’s body could be intentionally misleading. It leaves a viable reason as to why Johnny’s dead body is missing, but also leaves the reader wondering. This can trick the reader into thinking Johnny is still alive.
5. Fitzgerald says no one could have survived that fall. As a doctor, Flint is the most trustworthy. It’s unlikely for Johnny to somehow survive, especially after suffering shock and whatever damage the Klu Klux Klan did to him in the woods.
6. On the last page, Leanora remarks that Merlin “looks like he’s seen a ghost”. This wording is a common phrase, but to me it seems deliberate. “Ghost” implies that Johnny is indeed a spirit, and could be following Merlin either for repentance or for anger. Repentance as Johnny could still redeem himself and regret dragging Merlin into the KKK and forcing him to take the blame for Ira’s shooting, or anger as Merlin skipped town, and inadvertently caused Johnny to be attacked by the Klan.
7. Furthermore, in the church, Johnny mentions that this will be the last time he will be in the church. Although it’s possible he could be talking about the physical significance, it seems likely that Johnny is finally abandoning his pseudo-religious place* and moving onto the next realm. * I say this as Johnny’s racist ramblings go directly against Christian beliefs, as does coercing/raping young girl(s) multiple times, such as when he was shamed by the Klan, and when Ester unknowingly caught him near the riverbank.
8. When Merlin says Johnny is following him, he uses the word “shadow”. This in, and of itself is a common term to show someone sneaking around, but when the reader is debating Johnny’s aliveness, this is a small reminder that Johnny was perceived as dead. Ghosts often are seen as shadows and draped in darkness. So, Johnny seen as a shadow is Johnny when dead. Also, Merlin was not aware of Johnny’s demise. Johnny would probably wash off before he trailed Merlin all day. If Merlin saw Johnny covered in river slime, this is most likely because Johnny does not have a corperal form to wash, and instead is stuck in the body (and aforementioned slime) he died in.
{Sorry for any mistakes here; I’m not particularly eloquent at writing down my thoughts. Also, my English class just finished Act 5 today, and while we did debate Johnny’s demise, we’re just eight graders so we don’t have miche experience at literary analysis.}

Jen, it’s a privilege to witness you processing your thoughts regarding Johnny’s fate. Thank you for your careful reading of the book and for sharing your ideas with me and others who visit this site. -Karen Hesse

I’ve already given my best answer to the question of Johnny Reeves’ fate in this post but you might find it interesting to read some of the thoughtful comments from other readers. Let me know what conclusion you reach. Best, K.H.

Hi Karen Hesse my name is Tj Sirovy and i’m a 5th grader at Lincoln Elementary school in Spencer Iowa. My reading group just finished reading Witness and it’s driving us CRAZY because we want to know if Johnny Reeves is alive or dead.If you can’t tell us the answer directly then can you give us a couple of pages to read as a hint so we can find out? Thanks for reading this message.

I just got done reading the book in my 7th grade English and well… I think that Johnny Reeves is dead because when Merlin came back to town and told Leanora about Johnny Reeves following him everywhere he went, Leanora told him about Johnny jumping off the bridge, and she said that Merlin “looked like he’d seen a ghost.”

Hello Karen Hesse. I am a 7th grader that just finished reading your book in my reading class. My class and I are all wondering the same thing,”Is Johnny Revees really dead.” Most of my class says that he is dead and is haunting Merlin. I dissagree because the mention of ghosts in your book conveys that the spirts are friendly or protective, not scary or trying to cause any harm to the characters(mental or physical.) I believe he staged his own death carefully, to make sure everyone thinks he is dead,ecspecially the Ku Klux Klan. I don’t know if I’m right or wrong, but I wanted to share some of my insight with you.

I very much appreciate your comment, Faith. You have excellent reasoning skills and have read the text carefully. I wonder if your classmates can argue the opposite conclusion as convincingly. Thank you for posting your thoughts. -KH

Hello Karen hesse. I am a 6th grader that just finished reading one of your books for the first time, called “Stowaway” in school. I really enjoyed reading your book, it was interesting, and not to mention entertaining. I have had this question stuck in my head through the entire book. What was Nick’s father doing during those three years, or what do you think Nick’s father was doing when Nick was on The ship? Did he search for him? did he miss him? Did he not care at all? I also never found out what happened to Nick when he went home to his father. What was his father’s reaction when he saw him alive and grown up. Did Nick even see his father again? I really wish you have added these details to the book. I really wanted to know what would happen when Nick got home.

Sheryl, these are wonderful questions. You have put a lot of thought into the deeper relationships in STOWAWAY. What a wonderful reader you are. Your questions have inspired me to consider the possibility of writing a sequel to STOWAWAY to explore the story from Nick’s father’s point of view. Thank you and best wishes to you in everything you do. -Karen Hesse

We just finished reading Witness in my 8th grade high school English class, and we have had to do a few projects over the book through out reading it. I was wondering, what happened to Willie Pettibone? Do you think since the KKK left, his ways have changed? His dad also influenced him, and since his dad dropped out as well, how do you think he is reacting to the new situations? Johnny Reeves is gone, and do you think the people in the town will not be as racist because he isn’t there to influence them? Does Merlin ever go back to the Newspaper? He trusts Reynard Alexander quite a lot, and also the other way around. Why does Esther always call Sara by her full name? Thank you, and Witness was an amazing novel.

Thank you for your great comment, Kathryn. I suspect you already knew I wouldn’t be answering your wonderful questions. I hope you discuss them with your classmates and share some of your conclusions with me. Thank you again for your kind words and keep reading. -Karen Hesse

Thanks for leaving a comment, Destiny. I believe you’ll find more detailed answers to your question under the WITNESS tab. But the short answer is: this book is a work of fiction but it is inspired by over a year of research regarding the Klan in New England during the 1920s. The inspiration to write the book was a captioned photo in an in-flight magazine stowed in the front seat pocket on a flight I was taking for a speaking engagement. Best wishes to you, Karen Hesse

Hello, my name is Parker Rodgers and I am in 7th grade and I just finished reading Witness. First off it is an AMAZING book. Secondly I think Johnny Reeves is dead. The reason I think this is when Leanora Sutter sees Merlin and tells him the news about Johnny he has a face that looks like he has seen a ghost. Well to me that’s just a little creepy because he said Johnny walked two steps behind him. Then when Esther was in his church she said she didn’t see anybody and Johnny said he can see her, you cant see ghost. Lastly, Esther had seen Louis and Leanora had seen her mom so this means Merlin saw Johnny and they all saw them as a ghost.
Thank you,

Hello my name is Malachi Sylvester and i’m in Mr.Mantooth 7th grade ELA class and we just finished Witness.I think that Johnny Reeves is alive because his body was never found.Every time
someone died they found the body.Merlin also said he saw him.

My 7th-grade class actually just finished reading “Witness,” and it was fantastic. The book is so full of historical facts, in an entertaining way, so it’s not just like a history lesson. We’re now doing a project on this book, and my biography is either going to be on Sara Chickering or Merlin Van Tornhout. Again, it was just a fantastic book

My 7th grade class just finished reading witness and its one of my favorite books now it such a strong book and very meaningful.
I thing johnny reeves faked his death because Merlin said he kept on seeing johnny reeves following him every town he passed through or something in that area

Thank you for your comment, Laura. I’m delighted to know WITNESS has become one of your favorite books. I’m also glad you voiced your opinion on Johnny Reeves’ fate. Other readers have done so as well and I love to hear the different conclusions and how readers reached them. Have a good holiday. Best wishes, Karen Hesse

My name is Caitlyn Koch and I am in the eighth grade. Your book “Witness” has intrigued me since the day I first picked it up. I am an aspiring writer, and your unique style really speaks to me. I’ve never been one to really follow rules, and I’ve been trying really hard to develop my own writing style, but I have so many ideas! They just flood into my head and I can never seem to apply them properly. Writing is a big part of my life and I really want to get better. Do you have any tips?

Dear Caitlyn, You’ll find tips for aspiring writers in various posts on this blog. But to you particularly I would say develop your own voice by staying true to it, appreciating it. Write about the things you truly care about. Write every day. And good luck to you! -Karen Hesse

Hiya Karen Hesse, I just wanted to say that I think Johnny did die because if he was trying to get away from the Klan then why not did he just run away to another State. And If he was trying to commit suicide then if it was unsuccessful he probably would have tried suicide again. So he is probably dead. That’s my opinion.

We have just read this book in our 8th grade English class and have had debates about subjects, such as Johnny’s death. This book was excellent, and personally, I believe that Johnny Reeves did die because the reason Merlin came back was because he said that he kept feeling that Johnny was following him which leads me to believe that it was his ghost there the whole time.

Thank you for your comment, Ethan. It sounds as if your class really explored the work in depth. Please thank your teacher for me. As for Esther and God, I do address that question on this blog. But it seems to me you are a clever reader and will come to your own conclusion on this matter just as you did on the matter of Johnny’s fate. My very best wishes to you and your class, KH

In English class we read your book Witness and I personally enjoyed it. I was confused when Johnny Reeves was talked about, but in both ways about him being dead and alive. I believe that Johnny Reeves is alive because Johnny Reeves stopped appearing before Merlin because of Merlin returning to town.

We have just read this book in our 8th grade English class and have had debates about subjects, such as Johnny’s death. This book was excellent, and personally, I think this book is good for showing what the country used to be like in the 1900’s